TOTP (Time-based One-Time Password) is a critical security mechanism that generates temporary codes for two-factor authentication. Unlike SMS verification, TOTP codes are generated locally using a shared secret key and synchronized time, making them more secure against attacks.
For QA engineers, automating TOTP testing is essential for security-critical applications. Financial platforms, cloud services, and enterprise applications rely heavily on TOTP authentication.
Automating TOTP Testing Implementation
Setup and Secret Key Management
Obtain the TOTP shared secret during test environment setup. This base32-encoded string is available through QR codes or configuration files.
Programmatic Code Generation
Use libraries to generate TOTP codes:
import pyotp totp = pyotp.TOTP('base32secretkey') current_code = totp.now()
This eliminates manual code entry and enables continuous integration testing.
Comprehensive Test Scenarios
Automated tests should cover:
- Valid code authentication during normal login flows
- Expired code handling by manipulating test timestamps
- Invalid code rejection to verify security controls
- Time window tolerance testing for clock drift
- Multiple authentication attempts within the same period
Clock Synchronization Strategy
Since TOTP codes depend on precise timing, ensure synchronized clocks between test environment and system under test.
Integration with Test Frameworks
Modern frameworks like Selenium, Playwright, or Cypress can integrate TOTP generation into end-to-end test flows.
Robonito out of the box supports integration with all the TOTP platforms. You can read more about it in the Robonito docs
Best Practices
- Secure secret management in encrypted configuration
- Environment isolation with dedicated test secrets
- Time manipulation for edge case testing
- Parallel testing compatibility
Advanced Considerations
Implement agentic AI-driven test planning to automatically generate comprehensive TOTP test scenarios. AI can identify edge cases and optimize test coverage.
Consider testing backup codes, account recovery flows, and multi-device authentication scenarios.
Automating TOTP authentication testing strengthens application security while enabling efficient continuous integration.
If you are interested try Robonito today to experience the easiest way to automate TOTP authentication scenarios.